Why local authorities and landlords must act fast to facilitate the growth in electric vehicles
By 2030 it is estimated that nearly 5 million electric vehicles will be on the road throughout Britain, however, with consumers questioning whether their priorities for EV will be met, will this statistic become reality?
With an increasing environmentally conscious society, Cluttons recognises the importance of EV’s and the positive impact it will subsequently have. Both Google and mobile searches for “electric car(s)” have drastically increased, by 25% and 85% respectively, highlighting the boost in interest surrounding EV’s. We are enthusiastic to continue and encourage this trend by ensuring that local authorities and landlords have the right foundations in place for this to be possible.
In April 2021, there were more than 245,000 battery electric vehicles (BEV) and 270,000 plugin hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) on the road. This number is only set to grow, with an estimation of 200,000 additional registrations of pure EVs by the end of 2021.
Yet, there have been reservations over the demand of EV and whether the 2030 increase will be achievable.
The challenges local authorities are facing include the accessibility, ease, and reliability of charging stations as well as all the necessary considerations for choosing charging locations. Many consumers feel apprehensive over EV as they are reliant on charging points which are not as readily available or established as petrol stations. Notably, a significant rise in searches of over 100% for both “electric car charging points” and “car charging points near me” have been experienced, further displaying the reliance on connectivity for EV use.
Cluttons is working with landlords and councils to reinforce the importance of the rollout of EV charging points and are working with them to develop a future proof strategy to support growing demand. This mirrors the wealth of experience that Cluttons have had with digital infrastructure and the rollout of mobile infrastructure that they have been actively involved in since the 1990s.
With the lack of EV charging infrastructure being the main concern, the rollout of a national EV charging network is essential. In order to do this, we seek to support local authorities by reviewing their property portfolio and the appropriateness of locations for charging points. As well as this, we can use our knowledge of the industry and effectively recommend the market leading charge point infrastructure provider and management software, that is both reputable for useability and reliability.
There are added challenges with EV charging ports including grid capacity, future proofing, reliability and operability. Furthermore, many of the charging points will have to have a greater range of locations, either at places of work or in public places, as over 40% of the population do not have the available space or parking to facilitate it at home
Once locations have been found and created, digital connectivity is then key to support the rollout and ensure it is effectively used allowing users to find charging locations, check that the charging point is working, book charging times as well as pay for charging. Charge locations themselves will need reliable connectivity so that they can communicate with management software and consumer facing applications.
Smart chargers are also being encouraged by the government, in order to relieve some of the pressure placed in the grid as charging demand increases across the country.
With these considerations in place, Cluttons hopes that EV charging infrastructure will become more available and accessible by effectively supporting local authorities, landlords and developers with this rollout, thus increasing consumers’ confidence into investing and adopting EV.
Read more EV articles:
Electric vehicle charging: it’s all about location, location, location
Why landlords need to think of EV charging as the technology of today
Why local authorities and landlords must act fast to facilitate the growth in electric vehicles
